On April 24, 2020 Rasna Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: RASP), a development stage biotechnology company focused on the development of disease-modifying drugs for hematological malignancies, reported it has sold all of the intellectual property relating to a nanoparticle-based formulation of Actinomycin D (Act D; a.k.a. Dactinomycin) to Tiziana Life Sciences plc pursuant to an asset purchase agreement in exchange for an upfront payment of $120,000 and milestone payments of up to an aggregate $630,000 (Press release, Rasna Therapeutics, APR 24, 2020, View Source [SID1234556588]). Rasna is continuing to develop NPM1-mutated AML through direct and indirect disease-modifying approaches as well as inhibition of lysine specific demethylase-1 (LSD1), an enzyme involved in epigenetic control, as a promising and novel approach against AML.
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About NP-Act D
Actinomycin D, an inhibitor of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, is a potent antibiotic with therapeutic utilities in infectious diseases. Actinomycin was approved for medical use in the United States in 1964. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. Currently, the drug is primarily used for infectious diseases but recent studies suggest potential of this drug in certain cancers as well. However, intravenously administered Actinomycin D is known to produce severe toxicities, its therapeutic utility has been limited. The nanoparticle-based Actinomycin D (NP-ACT D) is formulated to control and slow release of Act D such that the Cmax in blood can be adjusted. In animal studies, NP-Act D was found to produce minimal toxicities and it was found to safe and well-tolerated.